FT. LAUDERDALE – In one year, every single resident of the United States of America is going to be given the opportunity to Stand Up and Be Counted by the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 Census.
To raise awareness about this important day and to educate the public about the important role that the upcoming Census will play in our community, Broward County Commissioner Ilene Lieberman, Chair of Broward County’s Census 2010 Complete Count Committee, will hold a news conference to begin the countdown to Census 2010 and read a proclamation declaring the day as Census Awareness Kickoff Day.
The news conference will be held beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 1, in the lobby of the Governmental Center, 115 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale.
“Participating in the upcoming Census is one of the most important civic duties an American resident can fulfill,” says Commissioner Lieberman. “That is why the Complete Count Committee has partnered with every level of government and many community organizations at work in Broward County to collaborate and cooperate to achieve a complete count. We are all stakeholders in the future of this community, and that is why we are working together to ensure the best future for this community.”
Also in attendance at the news conference will be representatives from the governmental bodies and organizations who have partnered with Broward County in the creation of the Complete Count Committee, including the United States Census Bureau, the Broward League of Cities and others.
The Broward County Complete Count Committee was created by the Board of County Commissioners in 2007 with the explicit mission of working “to guarantee a fair allocation of federal funding for important local community efforts and maintain accurate legislative representation by ensuring every Broward County resident is counted in the 2010 Census.”
The Committee began meeting in 2009 to coordinate a wide-reaching, community-based approach towards accomplishing this mission, and has since set up a number of subcommittees dedicated to reaching out to certain identified population segments to raise the awareness about the importance of Census participation.
“Census data is used to determine how nearly $300 billion is annually distributed for over 150 Federal programs,” says Commissioner Lieberman, who also served as the Chair of Broward County’s Complete Count Committee during the 2000 Census. “The data is also used to determine the need for additional social service grant programs that are essential for many communities.
In Census 2000, the estimated undercount in Broward County was 19,824. It is estimated that each individual who remains uncounted by the Census results in a loss of approximately $1,268 of federal funding per year. This results in considerable lost revenues for major programs in a time of diminishing public resources.”
The Broward County Complete Count Committee is always looking for more dedicated individuals to work with subcommittees in reaching out to residents.
For more information on the Committee, visit www.broward.org/census2010, or contact Scott Medvin, Administrative Coordinator to Commissioner Ilene Lieberman at 954-357-8550 or [email protected].
